Sun is the primary source to charge your solar-powered gadgets. But what if your solar watch has died out of battery and the sky refuses to part with its cloudy cover for the next 3 days?
What’s the alternative source to charging solar watch indoors? Is it possible to charge solar-powered watches through an artificial lighting source? Can LED light charge solar watch?
The simple answer is: Yes, LED lights can charge solar watches, but they may take longer to charge compared to direct sunlight exposure. The reason is sunlight provides a high light intensity and a broad spectrum of wavelengths, while LED light typically has a lower intensity and energy output.
In this blog post, we’ll give you the lowdown on how solar-powered watches work, what light sources they need for charging, and whether or not an LED light can do the job. Let’s dive in!
Can LED Light Charge Solar Watch?
You can use LED light to charge solar watches. Any artificial light source will do as long as it has enough lumen count.
LED lights will charge your solar watch just as effectively as sunlight, provided that both light sources’ luminosity or brightness level remains the same. But if you want to charge your solar watch with a regular LED light or your room bulb, it may not be as effective as charging from solar light.
How Will an LED Light Charge a Solar Watch?
Solar watches are charged when the packets of light energy, called photons, fall on them. Solar watches convert this light energy into electrical energy through photovoltaic cells, usually silicon. The cells absorb light and use it to charge a small battery, which powers the watch.
Interestingly, every light source emits light as photons, and these packets don’t differ from sunlight to artificial energy.
The photoelectric effect – which is responsible for converting light energy into electric energy in solar panels – gets triggered by light packets from LEDs just as easily as it does from sunlight.
How Long Does it Take To Charge a Solar Watch With LED Lights?
Solar watch typically takes 18 hours of direct outdoor sunlight to charge fully and approximately 3 and a half day to charge through a window. This is the fastest a solar gadget can be charged, as daytime accompanies a higher lumen count by default.
Artificial light sources, on the other hand, take longer than that due to the difference in light intensity and wavelength. According to research conducted by Casio, a solar-powered watch can charge in some hours of exposure to LED lights with an intensity of 1,000 lux or 900 watts higher. This is some high-powered LED bulb we’re talking about!
An average LED Light Bulb uses 10 watts or 9 lux of intensity, which is extremely low to charge a solar-powered gadget. Simply put, your watch will be charged, but it will take multiple days in a row to revive it through a regular LED bulb.
| Light Source | Charging Time for Full Battery | Charging Time for 24-Hour Charge |
| Natural Sunlight (full) | 20 hours | 3 minutes |
| Natural Sunlight (cloudy) | 60 hours | 9 minutes |
| LED Light (artificial) | 150 hours | 3.5 hours |
| NOTE The charging time listed for a full battery assumes a completely dead battery, while the charging time for a 24-hour charge assumes a partially depleted battery. The exact charging time for your solar watch may vary based on the specific watch model and other factors. |
The Science Behind Solar Watch Charging
The charging mechanism of solar watches depends on the solar panels installed within them. These panels have photovoltaic cells that consist of two types of semiconductors: p- and n-types, forming the p-n junction.
This junction can store electrical energy by shifting electrons to the positive side and holes to the negative side. When light falls on these semiconductors, it transfers energy to these electrons.
This effect prompts the electrons to move to the positive side, leaving holes in the other semiconductor. The resulting electron-hole pair stores electrical energy until a circuit allows this energy to move.
These cells only detect the luminosity of the light and will not be affected by the color temperature or color of the light falling on them. If your Casio solar watch is not charging, it can be because of some defect in these cells.
The conversion of light energy into electric energy is called the photovoltaic effect, a physical and chemical phenomenon. Note that these cells are only in charge of converting light energy into electric energy.
This energy is converted into current or electric flow when the solar panel is connected to a complete circuit. The reason is that the solar watches arrive with a complete circuit.
The electric flow starts immediately after the photovoltaic effect, completing the photoelectric effect. This current moves in the watch, prompting its hands to start moving.
Is LED Light Better Than Natural Sunlight To Charge Solar Watch?
Recharging solar watches with LED lights may be your only option indoors, but is it the best option?
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of LED lights for charging solar watches that can help you answer this concern:
Advantages of LED Solar Watch Charging
When sunlight is readily available, would you charge your G-shock Tough solar with an LED light? You wouldn’t. But the sun doesn’t show up at your will; LED lights do.
You can charge your solar watch with an LED light without the sun or a solar watch charger.
Moreover, charging your solar watch using an LED light is convenient. LED lights are small and portable, so you can easily carry them and charge your solar watch on the go.
Disadvantages of LED Solar Watch Charging
LED lights have lower luminosity and light intensity, so they take longer to charge solar panels, watches, and other gadgets.
Due to their low brightness level, LED lights may lower the charging quality, negatively impacting the battery life of the watch.
Moreover, not all solar-powered watches are compatible with LED light charging. So the ultimate solution is again – the sunlight!
3 Easy Ways to Improve Recharging Solar Watches With LED Light
We’ve established that LED lights or other artificial light sources may not be optimal for charging your solar watch. But if you must resort to this method, the following are the three steps you can take to improve the quality of charging via LED lights:
- Ideal Watch positioning: With higher intensity, LED lights produce heat energy which can be excessive in proximity. Long-term exposure can damage your watch. Keep the watch at least 20 inches away from the light source to prevent this heat damage.
- Increase the intensity of LED light: Make sure to select a bulb that has a higher brightness level. Higher luminosity translates into more photons that increase charging efficiency.
- Increase the duration of exposure: Unsurprisingly, LED lights take longer than sunlight to charge a solar watch. Typically, an LED light takes 8 times longer to charge your watch than sunlight. So, you have to be patient.
FAQs: LED Lights Charging Solar-powered Watches!
Can a light bulb charge a solar charger?
No, a light bulb cannot charge a solar charger as it requires a direct source of sunlight to generate electricity.
Can you charge solar panels with lights?
Yes, you can charge solar panels with different forms of visible light, such as incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. However, artificial light sources like lamps or light bulbs must be powerful enough to charge solar panels.
How do you charge a solar panel with a lamp?
A solar panel cannot be charged with a lamp, as it requires a direct source of sunlight. However, if the lamp emits sufficient sunlight, the solar panel can be charged by placing it under the lamp for an extended period of time. But again, this is not an ideal solution!
Will a UV light charge a solar watch?
Yes, UV light can charge a solar watch as it also emits wavelengths of light required to generate electricity in the solar cells of the watch.
How long does it take to fully charge a solar watch?
It generally takes a few hours to fully charge a solar watch. However, the time required to charge a solar watch fully varies on the watch’s model, the battery’s capacity, and the light source’s strength.
How to charge a solar watch without the sun?
Solar watches can be charged using artificial light sources like high-intensity light bulbs that emit a sufficient amount of light. Alternatively, some solar watches can be charged using kinetic energy from the wearer’s movement.
Will a regular light bulb charge a solar watch?
No, a regular light bulb is not powerful enough to charge a solar watch, as it does not emit enough sunlight to generate electricity in its solar cells.
Can solar watches be powered by artificial light?
Yes, solar watches can be powered by artificial light sources like lamps or light bulbs that emit sufficient light to generate electricity in the watch’s solar cells.
Wrap-Up: Will an LED Light Charge a Solar Watch?
You can use LED light to charge your solar watch. However, if you go this route, you’ll have to be very patient. LED lights take longer than you can imagine to bring your watch back to life.
Moreover, relying solely on artificial light sources is insufficient for optimal battery life. The best way to charge a solar watch is through sunlight — regularly place your solar-powered gadgets in sunlight to keep them running and without fail.
Got more questions like “Can LED light charge solar watch”? Drop them in the comments below — we’ll be happy to answer.
